Football, Football, Football

The children take turns bringing a thermos of hot water to Nyumba Yangu every morning. This morning, I could hear a lot of confused whispering, when my motion sensor light turned on as Jecinta and Tabitha got closer to the house.  Children being children, they quickly found out how this light works, and I stifled my laughter when their whispering turned into giggling as they ran away. They were giving this light a run for it's money.  I'm actually surprised at my own continued amazement at the fact that we actually have electricity...it is simply fantastic!  With a mandatory shut down this morning, we simply used solar.  I feel spoiled.


On Tuesday, we all began the day at Ereteti School, for the soccer program. Once everyone got settled, Tony and I waited to meet with the Head Teacher, who Tony had not yet met.  There was quite a line outside his office, due to the ongoing issue of the 'food program' and several other pressing concerns.  The night before, Penina came to Tony and me to let us know that the children's bags had been confiscated, because we had not paid our 500ksh to the school. When I asked what this 500ksh was for, Tony and I both bristled: each parent is to pay this so that the school can purchase the title deed for the land next door. I could barely contain my irritation, nor could Tony. Penina also told us that we have to pay for the food program, more money from WWC, when our children already take packed lunches. 

When it was our turn to sit with Mr. Wanjiie, I began by asking why a government school requires the parents to pay for the title deed of government land.  He was immediately irritated and responded that the parents had held a meeting with him, and voted unanimously to assist in this matter. (Not true. Penina was at this meeting and voted "no") "We even have the minutes of the meeting."  After he gave a long winded lie, I mean reason, as to why this situation is what it is, I asked, "May I please see the minutes? Further, can you please explain why you illegally confiscated our children's school bags and sent children home due to their parent's failure to send in the money?  I called the Ministry of Education this morning, and they informed me that confiscating bags and sending children home is illegal. Is this true?"  Naturally, Wanjiie was furious.  Adding to his fury was the fact that he had to pretend he had misplaced the minutes. In fact, there are none.  This was an internal decision, one in which Wanjiie and his teachers can benefit from.  Wanjiie abruptly ended the meeting by demanding that in the future, we do not call the Ministry, we speak to him.

On the way home that afternoon, Tony discreetly hooked up his telephone to the speakers in the car and hit 'play'.  All we heard was my voice in the meeting, which Tony had recorded in it's entirety.  

I finally reached the Ministry of Education this morning, after repeated attempts and rejected calls.  Never give up in Kenya.  After being pushed off to the Primary School Department, I got a competent woman who announced that it is illegal to act as Wanjiie had, and was asked to immediately write a formal complaint. This woman also informed me that when a school acts internally as this one did, the Ministry cannot get involved without a formal complaint.  I already knew this, so I quickly wrote a letter and scanned it to the Ministry.

My complaints:

1) Over 100 children were sent home from school illegally
2) School bags were confiscated illegally
3) One of our children was beaten for grabbing his bag from the 4x4 pile of bags, after being told he could do so
4) Each child is required to carry one piece of wood to school to be used as fuel in the kitchen.  This is MOST DEFINITELY illegal.

Tony informed me that the new Minister of Education is very strict, hates corruption and cleaned house immediately after his new term began.  While this gives me reason for optimism, I will await a response.  Tony and I are sick and tired of this nonsense with the lunch program, which we AS A RESCUE CENTER, do not have to take part in.  The lunch programs never work, because teachers steal the little food that is purchased from the required contributions and the children are the ones who suffer. In the ten years I have been here, I have not seen one successful program; hence, this is why our children carry their lunches.  This is the only way we can ensure that they will get fed.

Meanwhile, this is the greeting we got at Olteyani School yesterday, after returning from lunch. They could hardly believe their good fortune that they are actually getting four sessions with 'my team'!  We will be returning to this school next Thursday.

Marjet was cheering from the sidelines at one point and said to me: "I'm such a soccer mom!!"  She is really getting her hands dirty, as are Ben, Sam and Ethan.  This school is highly organized and actually has a sports coordinator. Despite the fact that they missed their enrollment by 200 children when I asked them earlier, it really didn't matter. I asked for 4 teams of 11 from Class 5 and 6 in the am and 4 teams of 11 from Class 7 and 8 in the afternoon, and they were delivered.  Everyone had a really wonderful and productive time.

Tomorrow, we will all had back out to Kisames in the bush, where we were on Monday with Nicole. The schools in this area are very small, so we have engaged three of them to give us 55 children.  After soccer, Ann has invited us all for lunch at her home.  I will do my best to visit Nicole at her school, on the way back.  

Sam and Tiff

All is well, great and wonderful, here in East Africa.  We gorged on pizza tonight, after Tony and I went to Ngong for supplies and the Forex.  Time is going to fly, so I have to be diligent about getting the supplies I need before departure next Saturday...

Nawapenda wote,

Simmie and Sam